What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Hofmann Forest (near Croatan)

Hey, fairly new member here who has been mostly lurking. Just wondering if anyone has heard anything about the sale of Hofmann Forest, which lies very close to the western edge of Croatan NF. Groups have been protesting for the conservation of the tract that has been sold, but according to recent news, a judge has ruled against the legal attempt to block the sale of this land. I must say, I'm pretty disappointed in NCSU (my alma mater) in their continued disregard for the large tracts of land they once owned.

So as is the case all too often, it seems like the place is going to be a total loss at some point. Whether it becomes more land dedicated to aggressive forestry tactics or neighborhoods, I don't think it's quite clear yet...however it's unlikely that the site will be improved.

So I don't know if anyone has checked out the area (or really if there are access issues), but it might be something to discuss, considering there are already a few members that live in the vicinity or at least make visits to the area. Through some Google Earth scouting, it's really difficult to get a read on the place. I have no idea if it's been so heavily used in the past that nearly everything has been wiped out or not. But it would likely be worth at least a look.
 
You're the first person on here aside from me that has gone to NCSU. When did you graduate? Anyway, theres a lot of opposition by the current students and faculty towards the sale of Hofmann Forest. As far as CPs go however, I have not really heard of any being there, but if I can find time in the Spring I'll probably go down to look for some. It is a little too far north for VFTs and the further west you go the less Sarracenia there are. If I had to guess you could find a few Drosera, some Utricularia, maybe S. purpurea if you're lucky. Pings tend to be the first thing to die out when a site is disturbed. Anyway, I'd love to talk to you sometime. Hit me up via pm or on the CCPS facebook group!
 
via email yesterday:

Dear Friends of Hofmann Forest,

You probably heard the news that on Tuesday the Wake County Superior Court Judge denied our request for an injunction against the sale of Hofmann Forest. That was a tough loss, but it doesn't stop our case, it just means that there is a chance that NCSU could try to execute the sale while our lawsuit is still going on.

Wednesday, however, our luck suddenly improved dramatically, when an anonymous tipster sent us a copy of the Hofmann LLC prospectus for potential investors. Hofmann LLC is the shell corp that the Walker Group organized to make the bid for Hofmann, and apparently this document is what they were using to look for additional money.

You'll be blown away - by how right we all were to stand up and fight against this sale!!! You can also read about it on the News & Observer Website. http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/11/14/3371051/buyer-apparently-has-plans-for.html. There should be stories on the 6 o'clock news on WRAL and other media outlets in the coming days.

Here's what they say is in the works for Hofmann:
1. 9000 acres to be developed along US 17, including over 8000 homes and 2 million square feet of office space
2. 45,000 acres of farms to be cleared within 10 years - on "virgin organic soils"
3. possibilities for major military installations, airfields, etc
4. possibilities for mining and dirt harvesting

We think there is going to rightfully be a media firestorm over this discovery. And we need your help to make sure it gets the NCSU and CNR/NRF leadership shaking in their boots now that their lies have been fully exposed (see the list of lies made by NCSU, Watzin, et al. below).

Three crucial things you can do:
1. Share this story about the prospectus on your own Facebook or other social media accounts, and email it directly to anyone who might share our concerns - include the link to the petition as well:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cnr-alumni-against-the-sale-of-the-hofmann-forest/

2. Watch for news articles as they appear, and respond vigorously and often, via letters to the editor and online comments. For example, the News and Observer is using Facebook now for its online comments section, and they have had a few stories go viral - let's make this one of them!!!

3. Write or call the NCSU Board of Trustees directly and ask that the administrators involved in organizing and approving the Hofmann sale be held accountable for intentionally misleading all of us about the sale terms and about the future of Hofmann Forest - tell them (quite truthfully) this is a much, much bigger deal than the Mary Easley scandal of a few years ago.

4. Like Us On Facebook for instant updates! --> https://www.facebook.com/SaveHofmannForest

You can find their emails and phone #'s here, contact as many as you can:
http://www.northcarolina.edu/campus_profiles/trustees.php?institution_tag=INST_NCSU

More on-the-ground protests may be in the works, so stay tuned. We can't let them get away with this, not now when we know what is truly at stake for Hofmann Forest.

Thank you for all of the energy you can throw into stopping the sale, we couldn't do it without your help!
 
Back
Top